𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄━━━S. Manjiro

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘆-𝗧𝘄𝗼

With a casual outfit I found inside my closet, I went out of the house and headed to the nearest park after receiving a message. It was from Hanagaki Takemichi.

According to the future me's notes, it was not only her who leaped back through time. There was also another person and that was him. I looked up at the sky and sighed. It's autumn. Winter is still far but it's already cold. I dislike the cold. It reminds me of the fact that there is nobody by my side to give me warmth and comfort from the cold.

It reminds me of loneliness. 

I started to frown as I shoved both hands inside my pocket and started to hurry back to the park. Thinking about this now, it suddenly ruined my mood.

Usually, I wouldn't have met this guy but curiosity got the better of me. The future me would not give me clear ideas about what really happened in their timeline. But if I ask this guy, I might find out some stuff. Even after twelve years, I am still stingy with information after all...

When I arrived, I found a blonde boy sitting on the swing by himself. He looked as if he was in deep thought until he noticed my presence. His eyes widened a bit as he stood up and called out, "[Last Name]-san!" He ran towards me and bowed his head a bit, "Sorry for calling you out so suddenly after we went back here but-"

"Wait." 

He looked at me with confusion in his eyes after I cut him off. I looked at him blankly and answered, "I am not the [First Name] you are looking for. I'm the one who belongs to this timeline."

After hearing my response, he froze and his eyes widened while taking a step back. "... Huh?"

I tilted my head and asked after seeing his dumbfounded reaction, "What?"

He blinked several times before finally speaking up. "Whenever I go back to the present or go back here, [Last Name]-san will always get dragged back with me... Maybe something happened on her side in the present...?" he sound unsure as he told me this. "Are you not in contact with her in the present?" Was this something that happened for the first time? She follows this guy in his time leaps. But then, the future version of him is currently in front of me but right now, she is not possessing my body.

Does this mean, she didn't time leap with him?

I know a lot of things but about this matter, I am completely clueless. 

Doesn't this mean... I'll have to do her part until she comes back? But I don't know anything.

"Well... [Last Name]-san told me that she's being held captive by Kisaki Tetta and... Mikey-kun. So contacting her in the present is impossible."

My frown deepened as I supported my head with my hand as I sigh. My head hurts. So even in the future, I still get kidnapped? Moreover... it was Manjiro? It's fine since it's him but this Kisaki Tetta? I know Kisaki from the notes she left behind. The mastermind of all this. But I don't know him personally so I can't judge his character. This is too complicated. I'm pretty sure unless I experience what she experienced, I will never understand anything. 

I shook my head helplessly and waved my hand, "Fine. I don't have anything to say about this so I won't say anything." I took a short pause to take a deep breath and continued on. "For now... I need you to tell me a lot of things, Hanagaki. Everything about the future you and she saw."

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

After returning from the vending machine, Takemichi handed me the canned coffee and sat beside me. I was in deep thought so I didn't pay his presence any mind. Of course, since I was not saying anything, he patiently waited for me to speak up first and kept quiet while drinking his own coffee.

My hands subconsciously moved to open the can and I took a sip. '... Manjiro and Toman ended up like that... I was out of the picture after breaking all my ties with them.' And when I did separate myself from them, everything started to fall apart then.

Ryuguji Ken, Baji Keisuke, Hanemiya Kazutora...

Everyone precious to Manjiro started to leave him one by one. And in the end, he was left all alone. Alone to carry the burden, all alone and...

The feeling of loneliness was something I am very familiar with. I thought that leaving them behind is the best option for everyone. Because I didn't want to involve them in my family affairs. I didn't want my family to harm them in any way just so that they could force me to leave them. So I left. I left them in the most painful way I know.

And I left Manjiro alone. I made him feel the same loneliness, perhaps even worse, I felt.

At the thought of that, I used my strength to crush the can unconsciously. Only when I felt the wetness of my jacket did I notice what I did. I lowered my head and stared at my clothes with a blank look. And then I stood up, Takemichi was confused at my reactions and actions but he said nothing. Perhaps he knew that this was a reasonable reaction.

"I'm leaving." I managed to utter out. I didn't look at him and just started walking as soon as I took off my drenched jacket. "Hanagaki, thanks."

I looked over my shoulders and looked at him, "I don't like thanking someone but I believe you deserve that. Your efforts to help the people you barely know and only knew for a short while... I am greatly thankful." I shifted my head and looked forward but I continued,

"I don't know what happened to the future [First Name] either. But until she goes back here, I'll help you out. You have my number so just call me if needed." I waved my hand and immediately disappeared from his sight without even waiting for his response. I shoved my hands in my pocket while the jacket hang around my arm as I walk.

Thanking someone... When was the last time I did that?

I don't have any time to recall and answer my own question as I continued my thoughts from earlier. 'I simply connected the dots. It looks like until the time leaps happened, I lived a life that isn't completely in agreement with my family's wishes.'

I was working as a successful doctor but I was cities away from them. According to the notes, I refused to marry someone my parents told me to. I used my job in order to escape. (Nice move, I say.)

Although I was no longer related to Toman, I still had some connections to the people inside it seems. Takashi, Matsuno, Haruki and Ryohei... I was still in contact with them. So even after what I had done... They were still by my side.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

"Fine."

I stopped walking and raised my head to stare at the sky that was about to darken. "If pushing them away is the wrong choice... All I have to do is to bring them close."

My family? Who cares. I have enough money to run away already anyways. If they disown me, I'll just have to pick up my informant job again so that I can live all by myself.

In the first place, I started doing that mercenary-like job so that I can save up money for myself and run away. I already have over ten million yen, I could survive with that already until I graduate from high school. I don't need them, my so-called family. For them, I was their tool. A tool to use and dispose of.

But, if I think about it, they're also my tool, aren't they? They gave me a place to live, food, and money for years. They served their purpose already. It's time for me to dispose of them.

Before I knew it, the corners of my lips curved upwards. A bitter smile as I glare at the sky. As soon as I made that decision, I felt like the chains shackling me for years has been broken and for once, I felt free.

'I quit being a trash.'

is the 1st person POV alright for y'all? once future [First Name] comes back, we're going back to 2nd person POV so–

I feel like I explained more than half of the original [First Name]'s character in this chapter and the last

I'm sleepy

Published: July 10, 2022